Russia and Putin · Second term · № 95
Declined to call Putin a dictator five days after using the word for Zelensky
“I don't use those words lightly. I think that we're going to see how it all works out. Let's see what happens.”
- Said
- , Oval Office meeting with President Emmanuel Macron of France
- Subject
- Putin "dictator" question
- Type
- Praise and deference
- Topic
- Ukraine & Russia
- Era
- Second term
What happened
On February 24, 2025, a reporter in the Oval Office said to Trump, "You called Zelenskyy a dictator. Would you use the same words regarding Putin?" Trump gave the answer quoted above and went on to say there was "a chance of a really good settlement." On February 19 he had written on Truth Social that Zelensky was "A Dictator without Elections." Zelensky was elected in 2019 with 73% of the vote, and Ukraine delayed the elections scheduled for early 2024 because of the war, CBS News reported. The exchange took place on the third anniversary of Russia's invasion, the same day the United States voted against a UN General Assembly resolution demanding a Russian withdrawal.
Sources
- Remarks Prior to a Meeting With President Emmanuel Macron of France and an Exchange With Reporters
- Trump declines to describe Putin as a 'dictator' after calling Zelenskyy one
- Truth Social Posts of February 19, 2025
- Trump calls Zelenskyy a "dictator" after blaming Ukraine for Russia's invasion
- U.S. votes against a U.N. resolution urging Russia's withdrawal from Ukraine